Chuay Gahn, which would always wear orange, consisted of: Jan Gentry, Ted Rogers Jr., Helen Glover, John Raymond, Ghandia Johnson, Brian Heidik , Tanya Vance and Clay Jordan.
Sook Jai, which would always wear purple, consisted of Jake Billingsly, Stephanie Dill, Kenneth Stafford, Penny Ramsey, Jed Hildebrand, Shii Ann Huang, Robb Zbacnik and Erin Collins.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Jeff then directed the two teams to get into their long canoes and start paddling to their new homes. On board both boats were identical meagre supplies. It was time to go and start their new civilizations. The boats went out and Sook Jai began paddling their boat backwards. Already strife was setting in. They couldn't get together on the paddling and the leaders were starting to show themselves.
Sook Jai arrived on their beach first and scattered, without any form of celebration. One was swinging from a vine, one was climbing a Mango tree, some were collecting leafs. There was no plan formed. It seemed frustrating. Later in the night, they decided to check out the beach. Some went into the water fully clothed, and Stephanie went skinny dipping. They build a make-shift shelter for the night and settled in, knowing that they would rebuild in the morning. Sook jai found their water hole the next day very easily. So the task was on to build a shelter. Jed thought food was more important so he went off looking for food and caught some heck when he got back about not helping. Tempers soon started to flare when Robb accused others of not working or helping.
Chuay Gahn hit their beach and had a group hug. Ted declared they were no longer a team, they were a big family. They found some caves which they thought were a huge advantage for cover and safety. They decided to go looking for food and leave the water until the next day. They found oysters, crab, clams and coconuts without even looking. They felt set. Next day, Tanya got sick. The general consensus was that she was dehydrated so they headed out for the water hole. They thought they had the map figured out and started climbing cliffs. They soon thought different of that strategy and took the boat around the cliffs to the other shore. Three in the boat, the rest swimming. The three in the boat (John, Tanys and Helen) found the water source and waited for the rest to catch up. John thought it would be funny to lead them to believe that a murky pond would be their water. He then revealed the fresh water tank and the rest weren't laughing too hard.
Time came for the Immunity Challenge. They paddled out to meet Jeff Probst, who explained the rules. They had to paddle out through two buoys to get to a station where there was a rope maze that had to be solved. When the puzzle was solved, the first flag was released. The team member who solved it grabbed the flag, got back into the boat and they paddled to the next challenge. A different team member had to dive down ten feet and unhook a flag, releasing it. They then had to paddle to a Thai puzzle. A different tribe member had to move the pieces around until the piece that had a knife in it could be slid through the slot. Then they took the knife, cut the rope and released the flag. With the three flags on board, they'd paddle back to Jeff. The first team to arrive back with their flags would win Immunity. Chuay Gahn was in the lead until they got to the last puzzle. Sook Jai caught up and surpassed them because Ghandia could not solve the puzzle. Sook Jai won Immunity, sending Chuay Gahn to Tribal Council.
Upon their arrival to Tribal Council, Jeff instructed them to each grab a torch and light it, as fire represents life on the island. Jeff asked Ghandia what happened and she told him plain and simply that she got stuck and she felt responsible for her tribe being there tonight. They then went on to discuss learning to live with strangers before the vote began. In the end, John Raymond was voted off the island... the first to go.
This episode opened on Chuay Gahn Beach. A loud snoring could be heard throughout the land. It was Clay, who was ringing in the decibels. Luckily for him, it was laughed off... although his Tribe Mates were suffering from lack of sleep. First thing the Tribe did was get out to the water hole. Helen and Jan went alone this time, but they didn't take the map. Helen reckoned she knew exactly where it was. So they landed on a beach and Helen went in. She searched and eventually came back, knowing it was the wrong cove. They paddled off to another beach. Meanwhile, Clay set up a three-hole golf course and the men did what they do best.... play. Back at another cove, Helen headed in to search for water while Jan floated serenely by the boat, which upset Helen tremendously, seeing as how she was doing the trekking and carrying. She finally found the water and there was much rejoicing. The Tribe Mates, however, were worrying about how long they were gone. When they finally caught sight of them, they swam out to lead them in.
On Sook Jai, the Tribe Mates were intent on their shelter, almost becoming obsessed with it. However, it was duly noted that Stephanie and Jed did not lift a finger to help. Jed decided it was better for him to take care of the food situation, seeing the shelter project as frivolous. Stephanie was looking after keeping the water supply stocked up, saying she "just couldn't get into" hut building. The shelter building took a back seat to the rapid hunger biting at them. So the Tribe went out to the beach and picked up shell fish. A ready supply of oysters and snails were there for them so they cooked and ate them... except for Stephanie, Robb and Jed, who also elected to sleep on the sand instead of under the shelter. When a storm rolled in, Jed and Robb went under the shelter but Stephanie stayed out on the beach in the torrential rain. Her reward: she got sick.
The Reward Challenge came up and had the Tribes run an obstacle course blind-folded with one Tribe member being the guide. The blind-folded Tribe Members had to carry the guide on a large stretcher-looking thing (don't know the name of it. It sounded like Jeff said "Planklette") and the guide would tell them to go left, right, straight... you get the idea... and stop at stations along the way to untie and retrieve Tribe colored bags. The Reward for completing the course and getting back to Jeff first with all of the bags, was a lantern, fishing hooks, fishing line and a huge fishing net. It was fairly even most of the way through, but Sook Jai won, leaving Chuay Gahn with no wins so far.
At Chuay Gahn, the Tribe Members were lamenting that they needed a win. It would be a terrific morale booster. Now, Helen had been suspicious of her Tribe during the course of the day, noting whispers all around her. They were off doing things and excluding her, and it made her nervous. Upon their return from the Reward Challenge, they had Helen sit down and they all gathered in a line in front of her and sang the WORST rendition of "Happy Anniversary" one would ever hear. They presented her with a garland of flowers as a crown and a lei. It was Helen's 20th Wedding Anniversary that day. She was very touched by their gift to her. Afterwards, they all sat to eat and poor Tanya simply could not eat the shell fish. She had been sick throughout these first days and eating was just impossible for her. Next morning, they found squid on the beach and luckily, Helen knew how to cook uncleaned squid. So they ate that for breakfast... everyone, that is, except Tanya.
The Immunity Challenge came up next. They met Jeff on a raft in the water. The Challenge was to construct a floating Lotus Flower puzzle in the water. One by one, the Tribe member would have to swim out, dive down and unhook their piece of the puzzle, swim it back and put it in the correct place so that another could go out. The first team to complete their puzzle correctly and have all tribe members on top of the floating Lotus Flower puzzle would win Immunity. Sook Jai had the lead until Penny got in trouble and had to tag out. The Tribes were even with three peices left to go. In the end, Sook Jai pulled it off by mere seconds. A dejected Chuay Gahn knew what was coming.
At Tribal Council, Jeff asked about morale in the tribe and he was told it was declining because the losses were so close, it was hard to take. He then pointedly asked Tanya if she had any idea it would be this tough. Tanya said she had no idea it would be this hard. He asked Helen about fitting in with the Tribe. She revealed that she was nervous about how she was being perceived, that she might be too in control all the time. She then talked about the Anniversary party and said it was all she could do to keep it together and not cry. She said she was "under orders" not to cry. Jeff asked by who? She said she works with a lot of tough guys, Navy Seals, Green Berets etc., who would give her a really tough time if she cried. That was very revealing about Helen... perhaps something the other Tribe Members needed to know since they've been talking about her lack of fun. The vote then took place and as hard as it was, Tanya Vance was voted out of Thailand because of her illness.
Episode Three opened on Chuay Gahn Beach at night, after Tribal Council. Everyone seemed happy and content within the Tribe. However, that happiness was about to be shattered. Ghandia woke up depressed, upset that Ted was apparently "grinding" against her in the night. She took him aside and confronted him with her discomfort. He apologized from the bottom of his heart, saying that in the "fog" between sleep and wake, he thought for a moment she was his wife. He suggested that they should stay apart from then on so it never happens again. She accepted his apology, forgave him and called him a "good person". All was happy again.
On Sook Jai, Stephanie was sleeping in the rain again. I think they're going to have to air lift her butt outta there if she doesn't smarten up some. The girl is already sick, does she want pneumonia? Anyway... It's only Day Seven and the Tribe Members are complaining about being hungry and exhausted. I think this is the first time this has come up so early in the game. Typically with Survivor, it happens down in the final week or two. These people are obviously not campers.
The Reward Challenge came up and the two Tribes met Jeff at a bamboo course on the water. The object of the game was to get ten items from one boat to another, allowing only one item at a time and only two tribe members at a time on the course. In the middle of the "straightaway" there was a zone marked in black and gold, which Jeff called the "attack zone." Players were allowed to try and knock each other off, in that zone only, so that they'd have to start again and lose the item they were carrying. Anyone attacking outside of this zone was immediately ejected from the game. The reward for winning this challenge was the assistance of two "Red Beret" men for 24 hours to teach them how to live off the land, fix their shelters, repair the boats... whatever they needed.
The challenge started off well enough, with Sook Jai taking a commanding lead due to people accidentally falling off the course and having to start again. Ted then went into the attack zone and started knocking people away. Sook Jai started sending people in to knock Chuay Gahn people off. It got dirty after that. The Sook Jai team started going after Chuay Gahn outside of the attack zone. Jeff was clearly becoming upset by the way these people were playing. Every time a Sook Jai player was eliminated from the game, an item went from Sook Jai to Chuay Gahn. In no time at all, Chuay Gahn had ten items and won the reward.
Back at Sook Jai camp, Robb was running his mouth something awful. He was cursing and swearing and calling Clay a "weak little whiny punk back-woods hick." Robb's Tribe Mates didn't offer a thing to his tirade, instead electing to laugh at him behind his back. Totally poor sportsmanship. Later, after Jed woke up from his nap, he looked out to the ocean and saw that the fishing net was gone. He and Robb went looking for it but could not find it. In one scene, you can see the net floating there, RIGHT BEHIND HIM! If he had taken the boat out or gone another couple of feet, he would have had it back.
Meanwhile, back at Drama Camp (Chuay Gahn), the Red Berets arrived to start teaching the Tribe what they can eat and how to prepare it; creating spoons and knives out of bamboo and repairing the boat. Ghandia had an audience in Helen and Jan. She told them about Ted and started adding things she had not said before, like him kissing her shoulder and giving her "love bites" on her shoulder. This business *should* have been finished earlier, when he apologized and she tearfully accepted. Needless to say, the Tribe Mates spoke with each other and eventually, Helen told Brian what had happened between Ghandia and Ted. Brian decided to get both sides of the story (good man, Brian!) and he spent a few minutes with Ted. Ted told him, "I'm a man of my word. A mistake happened and I rectified it. Nothing happened at all." Brian, rightfully, interpreted it as a touch or something here or there... but nothing happened. He told that to Helen who then ran to Ghandia and told her: "He said it never happened. I guess it was a figment of your imagination." Helen TOTALLY misrepresented Brian's words. Ghandia went off down the beach, screamed at the top of her lungs, punched out a poor, unsuspecting log and threw a bunch of rocks into the water.
Later on, Ted told Ghandia that they needed to talk, and it needed to be said and cleared in front of the whole Tribe. He called them over and told them what he had done. He was grinding against Ghandia before he realized he was not home, this was not his wife. He was not denying that and she accepted his apology. She accused him of massaging her head, biting her shoulder, kissing her shoulder... he totally denied that and told her he was not even attracted to her. His wife and daughter are his life and that's all there is to it. She said she didn't believe his apology and all that other stuff happened. He said that if that was the case, she should have said so at the time when he initially apologized to her. Ghandia said that she wanted it out in the open in front of the whole Tribe, and that's been done. Ted apologized AGAIN, to her, to everyone. Brian said, "it's a new day, let's start fresh." And off they went to learn more from the Red Berets who, happily, didn't speak much English, so they were in the dark about the drama.
The Immunity Challenge came up and certain members of Sook Jai said (to the camera) that it was time to lose some players and they were certainly thinking of throwing the challenge. The two Tribes met Jeff on a beach and learned that they had to rebuild a temple using three platforms, only moving one piece at a time, and never allowing a large piece to be on top of a smaller piece. Jed seemed to have taken the lead for Sook Jai and he led them amuck. While he was still trying to figure out which pieces to move, Chuay Gahn had finished and won Immunity for the first time. Shii Ann later said (to the camera) that she could have taken the lead on that puzzle and done it, so could a couple of other players... but they didn't. It was time for some Sook Jai players to go home.
At Tribal Council, Jeff asked Shii Ann what was the biggest surprise in the first nine days. She said being so hungry. Robb explained that they were hungry and tired and the lack of food was taking it's toll already on them. Stephanie agreed, saying that it might well cause some friction and divide the Tribe. In a vote of 5 - 3, Jed was voted out of Thailand.
Episode 4 opened at Sook Jai for a change. The weather was bad (Monsoon Season will be like that)and the weary Tribe ventured back to camp after Tribal Council. Everyone was incredibly bummed out and Shii Ann said that it was a terrible feeling to have her name read out in the votes. The Tribe all agreed that they never want to go through that again. They need to win all of the Challenges from then on, both Reward and Immunity. Time to kick butt! As the torrential rains pelted the Tribe's shelter, we saw Stephanie sleeping on the beach again... all alone. Next morning, Penny collected branches to get a fire started and Stephanie was obviously in a foul mood. She was very upset that Jed was gone. As the other five tended the fire, Stephanie went to the shore and picked up squid. She brought them back to the camp, dropped them in a pan and went back again. Wordlessly, she moved among them, delivered squid and let her attitude speak for her. When they ate, she sat away from them and didn't eat.
Meanwhile, back at Chuay Gahn, everyone seemed edgy. Ted and Ghandia would not even look at each other, never mind speak to each other. The other Tribe Members felt as though they were walking on egg shells around each other... the feelings were bad. The men separated from the women and sat in the water. Ted and Clay raked Ghandia over the coals in any way they could. Brian was keeping quiet. When they were all back in the cave, Ghandia was being sarcastic and running her mouth, saying: "So much love in the cave. You can just feel all the love just oozing out of the pores of the cave. Love, love, love, love everywhere. These six self-sacrificing people came in together in this cave, it's just a big love fest. Even when people don't talk to you they show you that they love you. Cuz they're trying to teach you a lesson. And that's love too." No-one else said a word.
The Reward Challenge came up next. There was a basket with a banana attached to the top of it and a huge 250 pound dummy sitting beside it. This Reward Challenge had the teams dress up and decorate their dummy and take it with them. The Chuay Gahn people all got together and worked on it, creating a creature they called "Chuay Gal", complete with a coconut brasier and grass skirt. Over at Sook Jai, they sat around, thought about names, looked at it an awful lot and did little else. So Stephanie got up and started painting their guy like a warrior. No-one else helped... apparently Stephanie didn't want any.
They met Jeff on Kochuka Island with their creations. Jeff explained that the teams were to carry their newest tribe member around the island, along a marked course. First Tribe to make it back with their dummy would win the Food Reward, which was 6 or 7 bunches of bananas... some ready to eat immediately and some that needed time to ripen. There would also be a mystery food item back at the winner's camp at the end of the challenge. Sook Jai took an early lead, but Chuay Gahn caught up to them when they had to climb up and over a steep hill. Sook Jai got down the other side first and carried their warrior across the finish line first.
Back at Camp Chuay Gahn, Clay, Brian and Ted agreed that Ghandia and Jan were the cause for their loss. Ghandia complained bitterly that the men were playing the blame game when they took off, leaving the women to clean up, do the cooking and boil the water. The women agreed that the workload was not being shared evenly and the Tribe was divided between the women and men. Meanwhile, the men sat in the water and talked about fishing. They cast the net out a couple of times and came up empty... so they went back to camp and stretched out while the women cooked, washed dishes, cleaned.... you get the drift.
At Camp Sook Jai, the tribe members filled themselves up with bananas and noticed immediately how their energy level was lifting. The mystery food item they won were 4 chickens. Robb told the chickens, in no uncertain terms, that they had better lay some eggs or they were dinner.
The Immunity Challenge came up next and the Tribes met Jeff at Challenge Beach. This time they didn't need to use their brawn, this time it was brain power that would win. Jeff explained that this puzzle dated back to ancient times and was called a Tan Gram. One sheet of wood, cut into 7 distinct shapes could create hundreds of different images. The teams had to create two images from these puzzle pieces. One was Fire and the other was a Temple, representing Tribal Council. Each Tribe would work in pairs. Once the first image was done, that pair would tag out and the second pair would do the next image. The first Tribe to complete both images to Jeff's satisfaction would win Immunity. Sook Jai won the first one with Chuay Gahn right behind them. Sook Jai then won the second won while Chuay Gahn was still scrambling. Sook Jai won Immunity again.
A dejected Chuay Gahn Tribe arrived back at their camp and the scheming started. Ghandia went to Jan and put it to her that if the women voted against Ted, then it would be three to three... because it seemed obvious that Ghandia was getting the men's votes. Jan wanted Ted to stay because they might still need his strength in challenges... but she'd go along with it if the women voted Clay out. Ghandia took this to Helen who understood the reasoning.
At Tribal Council, Jeff asked Helen what sort of toll the game was having on her. She went into a speed-talking exhibition that was quite funny. She said she finds herself worrying. She worries if there's enough water, enough food, is the tide out? Where's the next meal? What's the next challenge? Brawn? Brain? And then there's Tribal Council.... Yeah, the girl is a little too serious sometimes. Jeff pointedly asked Ghandia if she felt everyone was pulling their own weight. She replied, "Nope. Some people are just not doing as much as they could do and some people are just laying around." Here, she looked right at Clay. Jeff asked Clay if he agreed. Not surprisingly, he did not. Some go fishing, some go off and do different things.... Jan said she felt there is a division in the tribe, although they do come together for the challenges. When the votes were counted, Ghandia was voted out of Thailand. Hopefully there will be peace in the Tribe now.
Night 12 at Chuay Gahn, after Tribal Council, saw the Tribe arrive back at camp. Clay was surprised that he'd received votes and Jan knew she would be next because of it. Helen said it was a necessary evil to get Ghandia voted off, but she did what she had to do. Next morning, Clay went looking for crab and found only one. The food situation was very bad for a Tribe who had been taught by experts how to use the island and find the food sources. Brian and Ted agreed to have an alliance and watch each other's backs. That night, the Tribe Mates sat around the fire and sang Christmas songs. LOL! Helen took the lead and sang "Sleigh Ride" (don't quit your day job, darlin) while their boat drifted silently away. Next morning, Ted got up and saw that the boat was gone. He shared the info with Brian and then Clay. They walked along the beach searching for it, but to no avail. The women were far from impressed by the news. So a new strategy was in order to get water. They would swim. Not a happy Tribe.
Over at Sook Jai, before the sun rose, the rooster was crowing. So they got up, cooked it on down and ate it. Shii Ann was in there like a dirty shirt, eating the neck, heart, liver, gizzards, etc., and grossed out the rest of her Tribe Mates. In her culture, these things are a great snack. After the chicken (rooster) dinner, the Tribe Members were feeling full for the first time and decided to take a bit of a day off. They went splashing around in the water when Robb screamed. They thought he was playing around until he went up to the beach, his foot bleeding. He was bitten by something out there and no-one knew what to do for it. So they put his foot into some hot water while he moaned and complained how badly it stung. Shii Ann noted that he was being quite a big baby about it all which rubbed Robb the wrong way... what else is new, though. Robb does NOT like Shii Ann.
The Reward Challenge was revealed then... and we watched it being revealed at Chuay Gahn. Jan opened the note and found $1,000.00 in $20.00 bills, then read the note. It was all about bidding on food items. They met Jeff on Challenge Beach and took seats. He told them, before the bidding began, he had an offer to make. He wanted to know if anyone wanted to switch tribes. No-one took the bait, although it was clear certain people were thinking about it... those people being Shii Ann and Stephanie. So the Food Auction started. First item was a Hamburger with all the fixings and French Fries. Sook Jai took it for $120.00. Next item was a pitcher of Lime-Aid. Chuay Gahn won it for $20.00 Next item was a Mystery Item. Sook Jai took it for $80.00. It turned out to be fried grubs - LOL! They ATE them! They should have saved them for fishing, the fools. Anyway, next item was a large bowl of Spaghetti and Meatballs and Garlic Bread. Chuay Gahn took it for $400.00. Next item on the block was another Mystery Item. Sook Jai took it for $200.00. It turned out to be a large Hot Fudge Sundae. Chocolate! Mmmmmmmm! Next item was a large plate of Nachos and "something else." Chuay Gahn took it for $320.00 and the mystery item that went with it was a large pitcher of Marguaritas. The auction ended there and everyone was happy. Nice to see.
Over at Sook Jai, everyone was feeling really good. Stephanie was much more sociable and participated more than before. She passed bananas out to everyone and noted that being able to eat has made a big difference in her attitude.
Over at Chuay Gahn, the Immunity Challenge was revealed, but someone had to go and get water first. So Helen and Brian swam the distance and got the water... it wouldn't do to get dehydrated before a challenge.
At Challenge Beach, Jeff explained the Immunity Challenge. The Tribes had to sort fish. There were four kinds of fish to sort into their respective bins. Every fish must be in the right bins in order to win Immunity. These people wanted it so bad they were moving fish with their mouths and hands to win. In the end, Chuay Gahn won Immunity, sending Sook Jai to Tribal Council.
Back at Sook Jai, Stephanie said she felt like she would be next. She was regretting not going over to Chuay Gahn because they seemed like a much more fun Tribe. At the watering hole, Penny and Robb spoke about the problem they have with Shii Ann. Jake, on the other hand, likes Shii Ann and talked to her about people looking like they're talking about her. She was nervous, but Jake told her not to worry about it. She said sometimes she just wanted to cry and commented that the fact that she is so culturally different than the others sticks out like a sore thumb. Shii Ann was, indeed, nervous.
At Tribal Council, Jeff asked Robb what his impressions were of the other Tribe. Robb said they seem like a happy bunch of people. Jeff asked if he thought Sook Jai was stronger than Chuay Gahn. Robb: "For sure! Without a doubt, come on, bro." Jeff: "Come on, bro? Who's sitting at Tribal Council?" LOL! LOL! When the votes were all tallied, Stephanie was voted out of Thailand... with Shii Ann racking up more votes against her.
Episode 6 opened at Sook Jai the morning after the Tribal Council. Robb woke up in a bit of a snit and everyone saw it. He was sure that Penny was going to vote him off because of something Ken had said. So Robb went to Ken with it and questioned his loyalty and trust. At first, Ken thought he was joking, but then it became clear that Robb had an agenda. Ken assured him that he was being honest. He told Robb he was voting for Stephanie and he did vote for Stephanie. What was the problem? Robb went on about something that happened a week and a half ago, when he received votes. Ken told him to move on, that's in the past, and that he should have addressed this issue back then. For some reason, Robb felt betrayed and kept pushing. Finally, he walked away in a huff. Later, Robb went into the banana basket and took the ripest of the green bananas. Ken went to the tribe and asked them what the deal was. The others said they thought they were waiting for them to ripen up. Meanwhile, Robb ate and made it clear that if he was hungry, he was going to eat one. End of it. More bad feelings in the Tribe.
Over at Chuay Gahn, Jan and Helen swam the three miles for water. They still wanted to know where the boat was. They suspected it was on the other side of an island about a mile away from them... it turned out to be further than a mile. Ted, Brian and Clay swam over and had a look around to no avail. So they swam back.
All of a sudden, it was Reward Challenge time. The two Tribes met Jeff on Challenge Beach where he explained that the game involved wicker baskets and balls. One team member would launch a ball toward four stations down the beach. At each station would be two players... one from each team. The object was to catch five launched balls while trying to keep the other Tribe from catching any of theirs. They were allowed one time out in the game and were advised to use it well. The Reward was an opportunity to get away from their camp for awhile, experience some Thai culture and indulge in a Thai feast. As the game started, Robb caught four balls to Chuay Gahn's one. Chuay Gahn called a time out and switched to put Ted with Robb and Brian with Ken. Ted did a good job of keeping Robb from catching anymore while Chuay Gahn caught up. It was 4 to 4. Sook Jai called a time out and the men squabbled amongst each other as to how to get the last one. Penny told them all to hush. She told them she would launch the balls into the middle and she wanted all of their butts running and catching that last ball. Ken caught the last ball and Sook Jai won the Reward.
Over at Chuay Gahn, they took the loss hard. Their frustration was tangible and they figured it was the swim across to the other island looking for the boat caused them to be too tired. So they went collecting clams off of rocks for their meal. Later on that evening, the Tribe Mates stood in awe of a gorgeous sunset and spoke of the up-coming merge. They declared that they really needed to win Immunity so both tribes will merge with 5 players each. Later on Jan, in a shaky voice, announced that they needed to have a funeral. She had found the embryo of a bat and was very upset. No-one else quite understood what shook her up so badly, but Jan was very emotional about it and fashioned a cross out of sticks to put at the tiny grave. Brian noted that Jan could well be losing her mind out there.
Meantime, Sook Jai indulged in their feast. They ate from plates, used cuttlery and even had serviettes. They noted how silly the morning was in hindsight, fighting over bananas. Soon some Thai musicians and dancers came along to entertain them. The Tribe Mates put away their differences and really enjoyed each other's company (probably for the first time). Next day, Ken and Robb went on a hike deep into the jungle. They found a huge cave and explored it... then sat down for a talk. Ken helped Robb find perspective and to help him get his head straight, as Ken only wanted to help and guide Robb a little bit. Robb came away feeling like he'd been hanging out with an older brother and appreciated the time Ken took with him. Their problems of the day before were now gone. A little bit of Male Bonding Time really did a lot for these guys.
Immunity Challenge time came up. The Tribes met Jeff at Challenge Beach, and he explained that the Immunity Challenge today was all mental. The game, called "Thai 21," had 21 flags in a circle. Each team would take turns removing either one, two or three flags from the circle. The object was to make sure that at the end, they would be able to take the 21st flag on their turn. A lot of strategy came into play for this one. It was a good game. In the end, Chuay Gahn won, sending Sook Jai back to Tribal Council.
That night at Sook Jai, they opened the wine they had brought back from the Reward Challenge and sat around the fire. Jake noted that the game was definitely about ups and downs. They were all so happy as they enjoyed their Thai feast, and now they had to vote another member of the Tribe out. Robb made a very nice passionate that had some in tears. He said, "...It's all positive. There is no words that can describe this experience. When it's all said and done, you know what I'm going to tell people about this? You guys changed my whole outlook on life in two weeks.... You know before I left, you know what I thought was important to me? How much money I made a week and getting wasted. Within five nights in here I started thinking about things. Life is so important right now to me. And family, you guys, the most important thing in life is the people you love and people who love you just as much. That's what this is about. You guys don't understand, I didn't have a relationship with my dad for 21 years of my life and now I miss him more than I miss anyone and I want to go home and tell him how much I love him. And that's what I'm going to take away from this, no matter what happens. I'm already going home a winner." Robb made a huge personal growth breakthrough during this adventure. It was a really nice bonding moment for this fractured Tribe. It was very sweet.
Next day, they sacrificed a chicken and had a good meal while they all thought about Tribal Council. This one would be painful for them. When they got there, Jeff asked them about the last three days. The Tribe Mates agreed that it's been very emotional for them and that the vote was going to be very, very hard. Jeff said that he is genuinely delighted to see them bonding. When the votes were tallied, Robb was voted out of Thailand.
Episode 7 opened at Sook Jai, after Tribal Council. The Tribe Mates all felt that as difficult as the vote was, it was only going to get harder. They spoke about Robb and why he had to go. Shii Ann and Ken spoke about Penny and both agreed that they had to keep an eye on her. They felt she was scheming and deceiving. Tree mail arrived then. There were all kinds of paints included. They Tribes were instructed to choose a color and paint themselves up for a meeting with Jeff later.
At Challenge Beach, Jeff congratulated them for getting this far in the game (19 days). He told them "they" thought it would be fun for everyone to get to know someone from the other Tribe. "Five different colored paints were sent over to each beach. You guys each randomly selected one, and in doing so, you matched yourselves up with someone from the other Tribe." Jeff then called out the matched pair who were to meet in the middle of a circle and randomly select a picnic basket. Two of the baskets contained further instructions. The pairs were to take their baskets and find a secluded spot to get to know each other. The pairs were: Clay and Shii Ann, penny and Brian, Erin and Ted, Helen and Ken... and finally, Jan and Jake.
Inside the baskets were fruit... except for Shii Ann & Clay and Ken & Helen, who were instructed to go to a camp. Shii Ann and Clay went to Chuay Gahn while Ken and Helen went to Sook Jai. At Chuay Gahn, Shii Ann was very impressed with their living shelter (cave) and commented on how great it all was. At Sook Jai, Helen was impressed with the shelter immediately but was floored at the sight of the chickens. She immediately wanted to know where the water hole was and was floored again when told it was only around the corner. Ken asked about the dynamics of Helen's Tribe and she was vague in her answers. She didn't want to tell him any secrets that he could bring back to Sook Jai and use against Chuay Gahn. But, over at the Chuay Gahn beach, Shii Ann was much less cautious. She disclosed to Clay that she had been an outsider since day one and the Sook Jai Tribe were bent on picking off the Chuay Gahn Tribe. She went on to tell him that Ken was a really good guy, that Penny was the most manipulative person on the team, and they immediately started strategizing about an alliance to get to the end.
When the picnic was over, they all went back to Challenge Beach and met with Jeff again. Everyone was very happy with their time together. Jeff told them that when Helen, Ken, Clay and Shii Ann got their baskets and went to the other Tribe's beach, they became offical ambassadors for the two Tribes. It was up to them to choose a beach to live on from then on. Unanimously, they choose Chuay Gahn. Jeff told them that the rest of Sook Jai's belongings would be sent over and they could start back for home. Upon arriving, they found food! Lots of it! Crackers, Cheese, Wine, Apples, Grapes and Rice Noodles. The feast was on! For a little while, the game was cast aside as they enjoyed each other's company. The Tribes came up with a name for the new Tribe, "Chuay Jai" which is a combination of both Tribal names. Shii Ann never looked so happy. She told Ted that she had felt like an outisder in Sook Jai and how incredibly happy she was to be with Chuay Gahn. They all bathed together, getting the paint off, and talked long into the night. Jan and Brian had a little TOO much to drink and fell around. They sang songs around the fire and poor old Brian got sick from the wine. Shii Ann has a good singing voice! Brian, on the other hand, does not. LOL! it was really great.
Next day, Brian spoke privately with Shii Ann. He wanted to know if the Chuay Gahn members could count on her to join an alliance with them. Then Ken asked her if she was defecting to the Chuay Gahn side and wanted to know where her loyalties lay. Shii Ann was just getting more confused by the moment and was certainly not used to being in the center of voting strategies. All Shii Ann really wanted to do was get rid of Penny. (At this point, we watched a horrifically large black and yellow spider eat a caterpillar. THANKS for sharing, camera dudes! TMI! LOL!).
Suddenly it was Immunity Challenge time. After they left the beach, "Magilla" the monkey climbed down the tree and started eating all the food. LOL! They met Jeff at the beach and, before describing the task, he asked them how it went the other day, with all of them living on the same beach. Penny said that it was really good and having the Tribes merge went much smoother than any of them had anticipated. Jeff jumped in here and said, "You said merge. I certainly didn't say anything to give you that impression, did I?" At this point, Shii Ann looked like she'd just messed herself. UH OH! Indeed, two Tribes are living together on the same beach. They are still Chuay Gahn and Sook Jai... just living together. And now for the challenge. The island used to be a prison, and that's what today was all about. The Tribe Members would be shackled at their wrists and feet (3 shackles needing 3 keys) and locked in two prison cells (one for Chuay Gahn and one for Sook Jai). The teams had to use items laying around in the cell to grab a bunch of keys nailed to posts outside of the cell. One key was to be used for one lock only. They'd need 15 keys before they could attempt their escape, and that was by digging under and getting out. First team to get out and bring Jeff 15 keys would win Immunity. Chuay Gahn won and Sook Jai was sent immediately to Tribal Council.
Jeff wanted to know what their reactions wereto the news that they were still competing tribally instead of individually. Erin told him that they were in complete shock since she thought they would get new buffs and be a new Tribe. That's how they'd been living for the past couple of days. Now they had to reorganize their thoughts and deal with the fact that Chuay Gahn has 5 members to Sook Jai's 4. Penny and Erin both said they were not happy at the fact that "someone" in the Tribe had been sharing information and ingratiating themself with the Chuay Gahn people. Jeff told them that this was an open forum and anyone can speak their mind if they want to. Shii Ann took up that invitation and said WAY too much. She said Sook Jai was never a Tribe unified and that she was the person who felt that the most, so it was not surprising that she went to the Chuay Gahn people and formed friendships. She then proclaimed her loyalty to Ken and Jake, vowing that she always watched their backs, while she told Penny and Erin that they were manipulative and scheming. She told the Tribe that if they go back to camp and Shii Ann is out, and not Penny, that will leave an impression with Chuay Gahn and it will come back to them in the end. When the votes were tallied, Shii Ann was voted out of Thailand.
Episode Eight opened with the dejected Sook Jai Tribe coming back to camp after Tribal Council. Before they got back to the beach, the four remaining Sook Jai Tribe members had a group hug and said to each other that they had to stay strong. The Chuay Gahn people were surprised that Shii Ann was gone, but Sook Jai explained that she was lying to them, threatening them and she had to go. The Chuay Gahn people had left some soup on for them so the Sook Jai people ate and talked about how Shii Ann was double crossing them. Chuay Ghan acted surprised by the information, but their act was seen as an act.
Next day, Penny went around and basically sucked up to everyone. Shii Ann had set the thoughts in motion with Chuay Gahn that Penny was a threat and a manipulator. She was trying to do damage control with everyone. Of course, everyone saw through it, but life was pleasant on the beach with everyone trying so hard to get along. They played games on the beach, bathed in the ocean together and generally had a good time. While Ken moaned about the fact that the Chuay Gahn men tended to pee around the opening of the cave, causing a terrible smell, Jake complained about Helen's endless recitation of recipes. Sure enough, deep into the night, Helen was giving recipes at the camp fire. LOL!
All of a sudden, it was Immunity Challenge time. There was no Reward Challenge in this episode and I really wondered about this. The show was not even half-way over yet and it was Immunity time already. The explanation would unfold after this challenge. They swam out to meet Jeff on a floating platform. He explained that this challenge was to test their ability to stay calm when their instincts told them to panic. There were snorkels set in a row, just under the surface, made of bamboo. The Tribes had to go down there and breath through this apparatus. Whichever Tribe stayed down the longest would win Immunity. The strangest thing about this challenge was Chuay Gahn's decision to sit Helen out since they had one person more than Sook jai. I say strange because Helen is a swim instructor for the Navy Seals and Green Beret! I could NOT figure that one out. I would have sat Jan. Anyway, it wasn't long before Tribe members started popping back up from the shallow depths. First was Penny at 9 seconds, then Ken at 15 seconds, then Clay at 20 seconds, Ted at 21 seconds, Jan at 23 seconds, Erin at 25 seconds. That left Jake and Brian still under the water. The only way Sook Jai could now win Immunity is if Jake stayed down 16 seconds longer than Brian - if Brian came up first. Jake came up and Chuay Gahn won Immunity again.
Upon their return to camp, the Tribes found their bananas gone, the chicken feed gone and the rice noodles spread around the sand. The monkey came back and was eating their supplies. Later, Jake was taking the defeat personally. He found it difficult to be around the Chuay Gahn Tribe since they had won and he totally blamed himself for not staying down in the water longer. The Sook Jai Tribe was dwindling fast. They would be down to three after Tribal Council. Ted put all of the emotions out on the table by saying how weird it was that Chuay Gahn wanted to celebrate their win, but didn't because they liked the Sook Jai people and felt their sadness. No-one could really celebrate or express their sorrow. Jake suggested then that they cook the chicken. It would be Sook Jai's last meal together as the final four. They separated themselves off from Chuay Gahn and expressed their love for each other and how sad it was that they had to vote someone off. Then Jake took the chicken and said a prayer of thanks for the chicken giving it's life for them to live. Jan stood beside him and cried (she's such a softy!) as the ceremonial chicken killing commenced. So Jan went and had another funeral at her pet cemetary for the chicken's head and feet, bawling the whole time.
After dinner, the Sook Jai people separated themselves off again and had a long talk. Jake wanted to know if they should reveal who they were voting for or leave it for Tribal Council. They decided to leave it for later. More love talk went around... more family talk went around... more hugging and tears... you know.
And with that, they were off to Tribal Council, stopping for another group hug along the way. Jeff asked them how it felt to be living on one beach. Ken told them it was very family-oriented while there, but when it came time to compete, they put their game faces on and did what they had to do. Erin said the numbers game is really wearing on them since they're so outnumbered by Chuay Gahn. Jeff asked each of them why they should be kept instead of voting them off. Each of them said that they equally help with the chores, each contribute and are good to stay. When the votes were tallied, Erin was voted off, 3-1. Erin voted for Ken. After Erin's flame was extinguished, she stopped and hugged her three remaining Tribe Mates for the last time. Erin was now the first member of the jury.
Episode Nine opened with Chuay Gahn talking amongst themselves while Sook Jai were out at Tribal Council. They were happy and laughing and talking.... until the three remaining Sook Jai members returned. They quickly switched to somber out of respect for the dejected tribe. As the next day dawned, Jake started to tell stories about his life as an adventurer. He had endless stories to tell, thinking that these experiences would make the others realize that he's up to any challenge, not "too old" to compete and be an integral part of the team. Meanwhile, Ted and Clay rolled their eyes. That night, Clay stared up at the moon and the Tribes started talking about their families and how much they missed them. Helen started singing "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and she did a much better job this time than when she sang Christmas Carols. LOL!
The Reward Challenge came up and the Tribes met Jeff at Challenge Beach. They all sat around and listened while Jeff told them that he had videos from home. Smiles broke out all around as Jeff showed snippets of the videos. Tears were flowing like a river all around. The reward, as before, was to be able to sit and watch their entire video with a nice cool drink. Before he got to the challenge, though, Jeff presented them all with gold buffs and proclaimed the Tribes merged. The challenge was to do an obstacle course as teams of two. The winning team members would then have to compete against each other in a mental challenge. Brian won it and they all gathered to watch Brian's video. Brian's wife and daughter were on there, singing and dancing... (Clay's eyes about popped out of his head) and then she took the camera around the house, showed him his baby Grand Piano and stopped in the garage to show him his Cadillac and BMW parked there, safe and sound. Helen commented (to the camera) that it seemed fairly obvious that he didn't need the money. The last thing Brian's wife said was that she hoped he won the money so they could go to Fiji. OOOOOPS! Brian's wife was not too smart here.
Back at camp, the merged Tribe went about making their flag. Someone had the idea to put all of their hand prints on it and sign it. It was a pretty good looking flag when they were done.
The Immunity Challenge came up and Jeff explained that the challenge was to be played in two rounds. The first round would test their memories until all but two players were eliminated. The second round would be a show-down race on a large course. The two players (Clay and Ken) would have to follow instructions that would navigate them around the course. They would dig up their next directions and pick up a tally card. The tally card had to be placed on the tally board and the first one to dig up all 10 and put them up would win. Ken was useless at this game for some reason, and Clay zipped through it in no time. Clay had won Immunity.
The former Sook Jai's sat around and wondered what they were going to do. They decided to try and get rid of Brian. So Jake went to Clay about it and thought they had him convinced. But Ken and Jake also knew that the former Chuay Gahn members were talking about getting rid of Ted... so they had to have a rethink. At Tribal Council, Jeff asked a few questions about fitting into the new Tribe, etc. He asked Ted about regrets. Ted said he didn't have anything he regretted, however, at one point he was feeling homesick due to seeing a bit of the video. Instead of boosting him up, it made him lonely, so he went off for some alone time to get it together. I was glad Ted was able to say that in front of the Tribe so there were no misunderstandings. Anyway, at the end of the vote, it came out 5 votes for Ken and 3 votes for Ted. Ken was the ninth to be voted out of Thailand.
Episode TEN with Ted pondering Tribal Council and his three votes. He knew exactly where the votes came from... Sook Jai. Jake meandered up to Ted and told him that the Sook Jai people had asked the Chuay Gahn people who to vote for and they were told Ken or Ted. Ted asked who told them that. Jake said he didn't want to say. Ted thought he was a liar and took this bit of information to Clay and Brian, who denied it all. It was, of course, Clay who told Jake that... but he lied through his teeth too. Brian put it all down to Jake's insecurity and the length of time they'd been on the island. After that, they all talked about how they were starving. The tide had been up for 10 days so they couldn't catch any crab or anything. They had resorted to eating chicken feed.
The Reward Challenge came up and it involved a four stage obstacle course designed to eliminate players. Jeff explained that the first stage was called blown bridge. The Tribe Members had to pair up and do the first part as a team. Since there were 7 members, however, one person immediately was out of the game. The first two teams to get through the obstacle course moved on. Second stage was a belly crawl under a bamboo cover. The first three to make it through would move on. The third stage had the three remaining contestants going up and over a wall, but they MUST use the aid of another Tribe Member to get over. The first two over went to a showdown where they had to race along a bamboo pole to the platform at the end. The Reward.... the winner would be picked up in a boat and taken to a helopad where he or she would be flown to the mainland and given an elephant trek through the country-side. Afterwards, they would be treated to a Thai lunch. Right off the bat, Jake was out - no partner. The teams of Clay & Brian and Ted & Penny made it through stage one. The first three under the belly crawl were Ted, Clay and Brian. The first two over the wall were Clay and then Brian. In the end, Brian won the Reward Challenge and was allowed to take one person... he took Clay for taking him over the wall.
Next morning, Clay and Brian took off on their adventure. They decided to leave the game on the beach and just have some fun. And they did, although Brian was extremely nervous about the elephant ride. He was definitely not relaxed while riding on there. After that, they sat down for their lunch.
Meanwhile, Jake and Helen went for water and Jake told her that he was certain that Clay and Brian would win the game unless their team was broken up. He also told her that he was TOLD to vote for Ted. She knew he was getting information from someone, but she wasn't sure where. He played her and played her. She was told ahead of time to watch out for Jake the Snake, though, so she worked him for as much information as she could get.
Back at the Reward, lunch was served. There was shrimp soup, fruits, salads, vegetables and beer. It was Thai feast and they did indulge and enjoy. As their stomache's got fuller, they decided to take the rest of the soup back with them in one of their canteens and the rest of the beer in the other one. Clay was going to take full credit for it and be a hero. When they got back, the other Tribe Members were all in the water waiting for them. First thing Clay and Brian did was give them a piece of fruit, then Clay told them that he was going to feed them. That was one happy tribe. Jan grabbed hold of that beer canteen and was reluctant to let it go. The Tribe ate and then, as the sun went down, requested a blow-by-blow account of their adventure.
Next day Penny and Jake pondered what Chuay Gahn were saying to each other. They noted how secretive it all was and how it never seemed to be mentioned who was going to be voted off. Jake and Penny both commented on how they had been trying to break into the group, but were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Ted and Brian were commenting that Jake was trying too hard to play both sides. Clay told Penny in confidence that he was trying to get her into the final four with the former Chuay Gahn's. To the camera, Clay said that he told that to whomever he was talking to. Clay was stirring it up big time. And it was Immunity Challenge time. This time it was a test of their knowledge of Thai culture. They would each be given a block like a dice, with A, B, C, D, TRUE and FALSE each written on one side. Jeff would ask them a multiple choice question about Thailand and they would reveal their answer using the cube. If they got it right, they got to snuff out someone else's torch. Each player had three torches. In the end, Helen won Immunity.
They went back to camp, packed up their belongings and headed for Tribal Council. Jeff pointed out the 9 snuffed out torches and asked Ted if he believed that people so far had been voted out because of their actions. Ted agreed they were, but he said as it gets closer to the million dollars, that philosphy is slipping away because now the motivation is money and it's a little more selfish. Jake said the game to him now is about forming an alliance that is a win-win situation for the two. Clay commented that there has been a lot of depections because that's the name of the game, outwit, outplay and outlast. He said that everyone has strategies and everyone has done their fair share of deceiving. When the vote was over, Jan had one vote, Jake had two votes and Penny had four votes. Penny was the Tenth person voted out of Thailand.
Episode Eleven opened with the Tribe coming back from Tribal Council. Clay was offended by Jake's comments that the hardest workers should stay and Jake felt he was pulling his weight within the Tribe. The others commented (to the camera) that Clay was so upset because it was the truth and Clay probably felt vulnerable since he didn't really do anything but eat and sleep. Clay argued with Jake about the comments and caused some bad feelings around the campfire that night. One the morning of Day 31, the Tribe members were complaining of being very tired, losing too much weight and missing their families. Jake wrote in his journal about the day-to-day life on the Island and explained that it was more a letter to his wife than anything. Later on, Helen and Jan went to get the tree mail. They RAN back to the beach, excited. The challenge hint was all about Nourishment and luxury. They were all excited about the prospect of some good food.
On Challenge Beach, once the Tribe Members were all seated, Jeff told him that he would show them the Reward before he explained the challenge this time. He said, "This is what you're playing for," and out walked one of each Tribe Members loved ones. Helen JUMPED off her seat when she saw her husband. Jeff had to tell her to sit back down and stay there. LOL! It was priceless. Once the family members were all in place, Jeff told them that the challenge was for the Family Members to eat nasty bugs and stuff, not the Survivors. Whomever was the last one standing would get to spend 24 hours on the island with their loved one. Whoever lost would be told to go: no hugs, no kisses, no nothing. One by one the loved ones left until Helen's husband and Jake's wife were the only two left. In the end, Helen's husband was able to choke down a boiled SCORPION (!!!!!) faster than Jake's wife. Helen's husband stayed for 24 hours.
Back at camp, there was lots of talking and telling stories deep into the night. The Tribe Members let Helen and her husband sleep alone in the cave that night (The honeymoon suite) while they all slept outside. It was sweet. Next morning, Helen took her husband to the water hole in the boat and they talked strategy. Helen was happy to be able to voice her opinion outisde of the Tribe. It came down to her husband telling her that she's gotten this far, so whatever she was doing was good! As they were gathering crabs and seafood for dinner, the boat came to take Helen's husband away. She cried and felt silly about it, not wanting to cry in front of the others because she had a wonderful gift in that 24 hours that the others did not have.
Next it was Immunity Challenge time. They all met Jeff on Challenge Beach and he told them that they had to take pieces of a puzzle - keeping all one color - and build a cube. The pieces only fit together in one way to form that cube so they needed to use their brains. First person to successfully complete their cube would win Immunity. He then asked Helen what it was like to have her husband there. She told him it was beyond words. Jeff told Jake that it was so close between his wife and Helen's husband. It was only mere seconds that separated them. Jeff then said, "Jake, she didn't want to leave. None of them wanted to leave. Funny thing is, they didn't." Out ran all of the family members and there was much hugging and kissing, smiles and tears. After a few moments, Jeff broke up the love fest and told them that the Tribe Members would be tied together with their loved ones to do the Immunity Challenge task. And the race was on. In the end, Ted and his brother put their cube together and won Immunity for Ted. Then it was time for the loved ones to go again. One more hug for the road and it was over.
Back at camp, the Tribe Members were still basking in the glow of seeing their families again. Jake commented that when he went to the Immunity Challenge, he knew he had to win to save himself. Now, he said, it didn't matter. He got to see his wife and he was just so happy. Helen and Brian had a private talk down the beach about who should go. Helen was saying that she didn't trust Clay and thought he would be the one to go. She complained that Clay didn't do ANYTHING around the camp and it really bugged her. At Tribal Council, Jeff told them that he was guessing the last three days were probably the most emotional for everyone, having had the family members there. Clay agreed, it was the most emotional in his life. Helen said it was wonderful to see her husband again and it was especially nice to meet the people who she'd heard about all this time. In the end, by a vote of 5-1, Jake was the eleventh voted out of Thailand. Now it was time for the former Chuay Gahn tribe to start turning on each other.
Episode Twelve opened on the night of Day 34. The Tribe Members were very philosophical about having to vote each other out now that the former Sook Jai memebers were gone. Next Day, Clay went to check Tree Mail and found a full-lengthed mirror. He called the other Tribe Members over to see, and they all marvelled at how different they looked. Included were some photographs of each of them prior to going to the island, making them even more amazed at the changes in themselves and each other. later on, Ted and Brian took a walk on the beach. Ted wanted to make sure that Brian and he were still allied. Brian wavered and said he didn't know what was going on. It was all business from then on, which sent the signal to Ted that the alliance might as well be called, 'over'.
More tree mail arrived, this time for the last Reward Challenge. It made them think it was all about getting some food. Afterwards, Helen and Ted drew in the sand in order to talk strategy to each other. This did not go unnoticed by the other Tribe Members. Later, all revved up and ready for food, the they headed to challenge beach... only Jeff caught up with them in a brand new SUV, Chevy Trail Blazer, and drove them to the beach. The winner of Reward would get that vehicle as well as a day away which included a feast and a massage. The Challenge had them race, collecting english letters and, in the end, unscrambling and putting the letters together to reveal an activity. Brian had it won, but spelled ROAD as RAOD. Jeff told him it was not quite right and Brian said, "What? I wrote Road Trip!" Ted heard that and unscrambled his letters really fast to write Road Trip before Brian could correct his mistake. Ted had won the challenge and was allowed to take one person with him. He elected to take Helen with him which did not sit well with Brian.
Ted and Helen got in the SUV and took off down the beach. On the way there, they talked strategy openly. They discussed voting off Clay and Ted wanted to make sure that Jan would vote that way too. Helen confirmed that Jan was not too keen on Clay so she would get her to vote that way. Upon arrival at the "camp" a feast awaited. Ted and Helen sat down and started eating. Even though neither of them are drinkers, they opened a bottle of wine and didn't Ted get snapped. LOL! After they ate, they had the chance to take a shower and then get their massage. Ted was hilarious, yelling, screaming out his joy at being spoiled. After their massages, they fell asleep on soft beds with pillows and sheets.
Next day they went back to camp bearing presents. They had managed to bring three bottles of wine back as well as some shrimp soup. The Tribe Members ate well. Afterwards, Helen kept her word and spoke to Jan about the vote. Then Brian and Helen took the boat out to get some water and spoke at length about their strategy.
Then it was time for the Immunity Challenge. This one had them building a staircase to the top of a tower. The steps were already half formed and the contestants had to get their pieces and fit them properly. First person to get to the top of the tower would win Immunity. Brian won the Immunity Challenge, guaranteeing him a place in the final four. Back at camp, Ted did his yoga and meditation while Brian laid on the beach. Ted asked Brian about his chances at Tribal Council and still, Brian would not give him an answer. The Tribe Members were all contemplative as the time drew near to go.
At Tribal Council, Jeff noted that the remaining Chuay Jai memebers were all former Chuay Gahn and now, the jury consisted only of Sook Jai members. Jeff wondered what that felt like. Clay said he often lays awake at night thinking about that very thing and can only hope that he will be in the final two. Helen said that the only thing she can hope for at this point is that the jury votes on merit and who was the nicest person to be around. There was more chatter, and then it was time to vote. In the end, Ted was voted out of Thailand. Only four remained and the next episode would be the finale. Who will win the Million in Thailand?
Thailand's finale opened with a brief recap of life on the island, from day one. Watching that, it felt like we'd come a long way, never mind the contestants! LOL! And on we go with the last Thailand show....
We opened the night after the Tribal Council. Brian, Jan, Clay and Helen walked slowly and pondered the last days in Thailand. They knew they had blind-sided Ted and that he would not be happy. Next morning, they all headed off to see if there was tree mail and they found decorations. They had to decorate a float for each of the former contestants to send them off to sea later on, in a Thailand Tradition. So the final four set about their work and had some fun doing it. Once done, Helen and Jan went off to check tree mail again and found a clue for their Immunity Challenge.
This Challenge involved a little bit of each of the prior challenges. They had to dig up a wicker ball, take it with them across a bamboo balance beam, put it through a net and then stand it on their torch. They then had to work on a slide puzzle that would release a knife. Once the knife was free, they'd cut a rope and a bag would fall. In the bag was all of the materials necessary to build a pole and, from inside a jail cell, they'd reach with their pole to get a key off a hook and unlock their cell. After that, they'd have to go and eat a mystery food. First one finished would win Immunity. Brian had a slow start digging up his wicker ball, but he soon passed everyone and won again. Brian would be in the final three.
At the beach, King Brian decided it was time for Helen to go. Clay, being the ever faithful dog, agreed and was more than willing to ride Brian's coat tails. When Brian told Jan, she was very upset about it but agreed, in order to stay in the game. Later, helen went to Brian and Clay to make sure they were all on the same page. They told her the vote was for Jan that night. So at Tribal Council, imagine Helen's surprise when she was voted off, 3-1. This woman was clearly furious, and it would certainly come back to them later.
The final three walked back to camp, Jan very upset at voting out Helen. These were the last days in Thailand and the vote had not been an easy one. Jan thanked them for keeping her with them, but she still felt empty without Helen. Brian explained that Helen lost out when she started talking to Ted and allying with him. The three then went to tree mail and found one more float to decorate, it was Helen's. Jan took it upon herself to make sure there was a very nice one for Helen and tied a spoon to it for all the cooking she did.
Next morning, the three sat in awe of the most beautiful sunrise they'd ever seen. Clay pretended to have a coffee and donuts and passed the invisible food and drink around. They all sat on the beach and pretended to have breakfast as they watched the sun rise. Suddenly, there was a boat out there. Jeff came ashore and brought them a canoe and a map for their final challenge. They were to take the canoe around the tip of the island and, once at the river, they were to release the floats one by one in memory of the 13 contestants that went before them. They were to reflect on each person as they set the float adrift and honor them, as is Thai Tradition. They were then to paddle onward to a cave where Jeff would meet them for their final Immunity challenge.
So the three paddled off and reached the river. They let the floats go in order of their elimination from Survivor. It was a very emotional task, bringing tears to each of them. Soon they reached the midst of a cave and Jeff was there waiting for them. Jeff explained that this cave was once where the Pirates who ruled this island would live. There were hundreds of candles all around and the temperature was about 105 degrees. The three remaining contestants were instructed to gather 6 coins, place three in each hand, between their fingers, and get into a cage where they would have to stand, legs bent. Whomever lasted the longest would win Immunity. For the first five minutes, they all looked okay, but after that, the strain of standing in such an awkward position began to tell on them. Clay's legs were shaking, sweat was pouring off them and finally, after 12 minutes, Jan could not stand it any longer. She let go of her coins and got out of the cage. Seeing that, Clay let go (knowing that Brian was taking him to the finals) and then King Brian let go... winning Immunity for the last time.
At Tribal Council, Helen would not make eye contact with the three remaining contestants. Jeff asked about their emotional state. Jan said it was terribly emotional, especially when she had to release Helen's float. She explained that they put spoons on the top of Helen's float because of the great cook she was and, with tears, Jan explained that it was the most emotional. Helen then looked at the contestants but anger was still on her face. Clay explained that every one of the floats met something to him. Jeff then asked Brian how many times that day he'd thought about this huge decision tonight. Brian told him it was like a tennis match in his head. But in the end, it's business. Jeff then sent Brian off to cast the final vote. When it was read, Jan was the Fourteenth member voted out of Thailand. Now there was only Clay and Brian left to face the jury.
After Tribal Council, as soon as they got back to the beach, Clay and Brian burned their canoe... the bane of their time on the island. They both felt it was very cleansing to do that. Next morning, Day 39... the final day on the island, Clay marked off the last day on their wall calendar and they ate their last coconut. They packed up and took that last long walk to the final Tribal Council. Once there, the jury was brought in and Jeff asked Clay and Brian to make their statements as to why they deserve to win the million.
Clay started by saying how lucky he is to be sitting there. He told the jury that they would have done exactly what he did to get to that point. He then told them that he was just coming out of some real bad luck and the million would really help him in his life. He told them it was a super hard decision for them to make and he wished them luck.
Brian started by saying what a pleasure it had been knowing every one of them and that there had been leadership through example and leadership through merit and no complaints on his part. There were no stories fabricated for sympathy (shot at Clay's speech) but just a positive outlook on a daily basis and his focus on his desire to make sure everyone was fed, warm and could sleep at night. He asked them to vote from their hearts and look at the big picture, the whole time they were together.
Now it was time for jury to address the final two. First up was Erin who asked each of them why they thought the person sitting next to them did not deserve the million. Brian: Clay does not deserve it because he did not put forth the effort necessary to survive and coasted a lot. Clay: Brian does not deserve the million because he thought to much of himself and considered himself the leader and was power hungry. Ken told Clay that he would NOT do what he did to get to the final two. In his opinion, honestly and integrity meant more than what Clay had done. Ken asked Brian to tell the jury why he told everyone that Ted had to go. Brian denied saying it. Ken pushed, Brian came up with something. Ken knew that was a lie. Next up was Penny. Penny asked Brian what he knew about her personal life. In essence, Brian knew nothing. She asked Clay and he rambled off a long list of things about her, satisfying her that Clay had taken the time to get to know her. Next was Jake. Jake asked why Clay felt threatened and blasted him after Tribal Council one night. Clay said that when he first came to camp, Jake tried to form an alliance with him, then went to Ted, then went to Brian, trying to play CLay against his tribe mates. Brian said he did not feel that Jake was a problem at that time. Jake seemed satisfied. Next up was Ted. He told Brian that he was a great used car salesman. He sold Ted his word, his alliance, his trust and they all turned out to be lemons. He told Clay he was only there because he rode Brian's coat tails and that he did over estimate him, calling him an ignorant, Southern Redneck hillbilly. Ted asked Clay how he defined a racist. Clay denied making racist comments about Ted. Ted pressed again for the definition. Clay said a racist person is one who tries to belittle another race, regarless of color. Ted then asked Clay what he could say to convince him that he should get his vote. Clay said he was "fair with Ted." This took Ted by surprise. he asked Brian if that was true. Brian said no. Next up was Jan. She asked Clay to define his meaning of working very hard in comparison to Brian. Clay said he did his share by getting the food and volunteering to get water but was always told by Brian that he would get it. She then asked Brian to defend his workload compared to Clay's. Brian said that every day he would clean, he would get water, every night he made sure the fire was going and tending to the food. Last up was Helen. UH OH! Here we go! She was incredibly bitter about being lied to about her being voted out. She told them that if she were going to vote them out, she would have told them. She expected the same decency from them. However, she was not surprised that this subterfuge came from Clay as, in her opinion, he lived up to her perception of him. She told Brian he was the epitome of a trashy used car salesman and she was really hurt that he duped her, strung her along and made a fool of her. She wanted Brian to explain to her why he did that and follow with why she should vote for him. Brian explained that prior to her being voted out, he was made aware of an alliance between her and Ted and he felt betrayed. She countered that she told him if she was ever going to change her mind, she would come to him first. She never told him of any alliance with Ted because there wasn't one. He was acting on heresay. As for why she should vote for him, he said he made only one mistake during all that time with her and that it was not telling her she was going. He apologized. She said it was sort of late. She then asked Clay for three reasons of how he contributed to surviving on that island. He said he did a little every day. She countered that she asked for three reasons. He told her that nothing he could say to her at that point, because of her anger, would satisfy her, so he was done talking to her. And that was it. Now it was time to cast the votes.
Fast forward to the Los Angeles live broadcast. The votes were read and it was tied, 3-3. When the final vote was read, Brian won the Million in Thailand.
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